Capitalization is the use of uppercase letters at the beginnings of certain words. Proper capitalization is essential in formal writing, academic work, business correspondence, and most forms of print and digital communication. It ensures clarity, distinguishes proper nouns from common nouns, and helps readers recognize sentence boundaries and important terms. This guide will cover the primary rules of capitalization and illustrate them with examples.
Table of contents
1. Capitalizing the First Word in a Sentence
Always capitalize the first word of any sentence. This visually indicates to the reader that a new sentence is beginning.
Examples:
- “The sun was shining brightly.”
- “We decided to go for a hike.”
Whether the sentence starts after a period, question mark, exclamation point, or any other ending punctuation, the first letter of the following sentence is capitalized.
2. Capitalizing the Pronoun “I”
The pronoun “I” (referring to oneself) is always capitalized, regardless of its position in the sentence.
Examples:
- “I am going to the store.”
- “My sister and I enjoyed the movie.”
- “Even though I was tired, I still went to the gym.”
This is a unique case in English; no other pronoun receives this special treatment.
3. Capitalizing Proper Nouns
Proper nouns name specific people, places, and things. They must always be capitalized. This distinguishes them from common nouns, which generally aren’t capitalized unless they begin a sentence.
Categories of Proper Nouns:
- Names of People and Animals:
- “Elizabeth,” “Alexander,” “Dr. Smith”
- Pet names: “Rover,” “Bella”
- Geographical Locations:
- Countries, cities, states, continents: “France,” “California,” “Europe”
- Mountains, rivers, lakes, oceans: “Mount Everest,” “Nile River,” “Lake Superior,” “Atlantic Ocean”
- Organizations and Institutions:
- Companies, schools, government bodies: “Google,” “Harvard University,” “Parliament,” “United Nations”
- Brand Names, Titles, and Publications:
- Brands: “Coca-Cola,” “Microsoft”
- Titles of books, movies, songs: “War and Peace,” “Titanic,” “Hey Jude”
- Newspapers and magazines: “The New York Times,” “Time Magazine”
Note:
For organizations or publications, always follow their official stylization. For instance, “iPhone” typically keeps its lowercase “i” even at the start, as that is Apple’s official style.
4. Capitalizing Titles and Honorifics
Titles used with a name, or as part of a name, should be capitalized. This includes titles of people, job titles when used before a name, and honorary titles.
Examples:
- “Dr. Jones,” “President Lincoln,” “Queen Elizabeth II”
- “Professor Brown,” “Captain Johnson”
When titles are used generically (not attached to a person’s name), they are usually not capitalized:
- “He spoke with the doctor.”
- “She became president of the company.”
5. Capitalization in Titles of Works
For titles of books, articles, songs, films, and other creative works, capitalize the first and last words of the title, as well as all major words in between. Minor words (like “and,” “of,” “in,” “on,” “the,” “to,” “a,” “an”) are not capitalized unless they are the first or last word, or are longer prepositions (like “Between,” “Underneath,” which are often capitalized in some style guides).
Examples (using a common style, such as title case in English):
- “The Great Gatsby”
- “Gone with the Wind”
- “A Study in Scarlet”
- “Pride and Prejudice”
Note on Style Guides:
Different style guides (APA, MLA, Chicago) have specific rules on capitalization in titles. Always check the relevant style guide if you are writing for academic or professional purposes.
6. Days, Months, Holidays, and Specific Time Periods
Capitalize the names of days of the week, months, holidays, and historical periods.
Examples:
- “Monday,” “May,” “Thanksgiving,” “Christmas,” “The Renaissance,” “World War II”
Do not capitalize seasons unless they are personified or part of a proper noun.
- “I love the colors of spring.”
- “She was born in winter.”
- “My favorite season is fall.”
7. Capitalizing the First Word in a Quotation
When quoting a full sentence, capitalize the first word inside the quotation marks.
Example:
- He said, “We need to leave now.”
- She asked, “Are you coming with us?”
If you are quoting part of a sentence or a fragment, you may not need to capitalize the first word.
- He described the situation as “urgent and dangerous.”
8. Specific Events, Historical Eras, and Named Documents
Capitalize the names of significant historical events, specific documents, treaties, or unique historical periods.
Examples:
- “The Magna Carta,” “The Declaration of Independence,” “The Civil Rights Movement,” “World War I,” “The Internet Age”
9. Languages, Nationalities, and Religions
Capitalize languages, nationalities, and religions as they are considered proper nouns.
Examples:
- “She speaks English, Spanish, and French.”
- “They are Italian.”
- “He studies Buddhism and Christianity.”
10. Capitalizing “Mom,” “Dad,” and Other Family Titles
When a family title is used as a proper name (in place of a person’s name), it should be capitalized. If it’s used generically, it’s not.
Examples:
- “I asked Mom where she put the keys.” (Used as a name, capitalized)
- “Her mom is a doctor.” (Generic noun, lowercase)
The same rule applies for words like “Dad,” “Aunt,” “Uncle,” “Grandma,” and so on.
11. Acronyms, Initialisms, and Abbreviations
Acronyms (words formed from the initial letters of other words) and initialisms are usually capitalized.
Examples:
- “NASA,” “FBI,” “UN,” “USA”
Some acronyms have become standard words and may not always be in uppercase, depending on style guides.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overcapitalization: Don’t capitalize words just because they seem important. Common nouns, general job titles not before a name, and general concepts are not capitalized.
- Incorrect: “I am going to The Store.”
- Correct: “I am going to the store.”
- Misidentifying Proper Nouns: If it’s not a unique, one-of-a-kind name, it probably shouldn’t be capitalized.
- Incorrect: “I love my Mother.” (If used as a common noun and not her name)
- Correct: “I love my mother.” or “I love my Mother, who we call Mom.”
- Capitalizing Seasons: Avoid capitalizing seasons unless part of a title or event name.
- Incorrect: “I love the Autumn.”
- Correct: “I love the autumn.”
Practice Exercises
- Correct the capitalization in the following sentences: a. “on Tuesday, we visited a park in chicago.”
b. “my friend julie speaks english and german.”
c. “we are studying world war i this semester.” - Decide if the words should be capitalized:
- “My uncle/Uncle Jim is visiting.”
- “Do you celebrate christmas/Christmas?”
- “He’s going to university/University of Cambridge.”
- Write a sentence about a holiday, ensuring correct capitalization of proper nouns and leaving common nouns in lowercase.
Answers
- Correcting Sentences: a. “On Tuesday, we visited a park in Chicago.”
b. “My friend Julie speaks English and German.”
c. “We are studying World War I this semester.” - Capitalize Correctly:
- “My Uncle Jim is visiting.” (Used as a name here.)
- “Do you celebrate Christmas?”
- “He’s going to the University of Cambridge.” (Part of an official name)
- Sample Answer:
- “On Thanksgiving, we usually visit my grandparents and enjoy a large family dinner.”